


cubes and other compensation strategies

by revoleotion



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Background Dialuci, Character Study, Misunderstandings, fidget toys, levi has adhd, neurodiverse Leviathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26341789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion
Summary: It all started with the cube. It was a blue plastic item, by no means special or worth much. Leviathan had bought it in a human realm country, somewhere in Asia, after Mammon had broken another cheap item at the store. Levi had apologized five times and bought the cube to make up for it.
Relationships: Leviathan & Diavolo, Leviathan & Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 85





	cubes and other compensation strategies

It all started with the cube. It was a blue plastic item, by no means special or worth much. Leviathan had bought it in a human realm country, somewhere in Asia, after Mammon had broken another cheap item at the store. Levi had apologized five times and bought the cube to make up for it. 

It was only when they left the store with the intention to never visit this country again that he looked at what he had just purchased. Five of the six sides had something attached to them, buttons to press, one metallic ball to spin, a lightswitch and something that looked like a playstation controller joystick. Levi had decided that he liked the lightswitch most, he loved how well it fit against his thumb. It didn’t make as much noise as the tiny gears, although Levi also loved letting his fingers run over them. He didn’t always use the cube but whenever he found it in a bag or a jacket, he spent hours with it. 

Levi rediscovered the cube one year of forgetting about it. While he usually didn’t like to use it in front of his brothers, he suddenly noticed that he could focus on whatever Lucifer said during a meeting a lot better if he played with the cube in one hand and took notes with the other one. One of the cube’s sides barely made any sound, so everything went well. 

For about ten minutes. 

Then, Asmodeus whispered, “Are you playing with yourself?” and Mammon giggled a bit too loudly. Even Satan found it hard to hide his smile. 

“I’m _not_ ,” Levi hissed and held up the cube to show them what he was doing. 

Asmodeus’ eyes grew a little bit too wide. 

“That looks fun!” he said, almost loud enough for Lucifer to hear. 

Levi, suddenly very protective of his cube, pulled his hand back and hid it underneath the table again. His cheeks felt hot and it felt impossible to focus on anything, especially Lucifer listing off the budget for the devildom navy. He just had to pay attention, so he could go back to the game he had been able to start before breakfast. 

“I want to see!” Mammon complained. “Why did Asmo get to see it but I didn’t?”

“Because it’s mine!” Levi said. Too loudly. He already knew when the last word stumbled over his lips that he had messed up. It came out all wrong, his voice was shaking and he could feel his legs trembling under the table. 

Lucifer stared at him. Perhaps he had interrupted his monologue minutes ago but Levi only noticed now. Something in his red eyes was so deadly that Levi found it very hard not to burst into tears. 

“What’s going on?” Lucifer asked and thankfully moved on to Mammon who looked very smug and relaxed for someone who was currently right in Lucifer’s firing range. 

“Levi brought a toy to the meeting,” Asmo said. 

So much for him having Levi’s back. It wasn’t uncommon for Asmo to throw people under the bus, though. Levi was so used to it that he couldn’t be disappointed. 

“A toy?” Lucifer asked. “Give it to me.”

Levi blinked and hated how his eyes hurt with upcoming tears. 

“It helps me focus,” he protested but he already knew that this was pointless. He couldn’t explain himself. Even worse, even if Levi could bring his point across, Lucifer wouldn’t care. 

“Now,” Lucifer said. Enough wrath to his voice to make even Satan flinch. 

Levi forced his legs to move. He pushed himself up, fingers wrapped around the cube so tightly that he feared he might crush it before he could give it to Lucifer. It was impossible to look his eldest brother into the eyes as he let the cube fall into the demon’s hand. Lucifer looked down on it, frowned, then scoffed. 

“Pay attention. This is important for you,” he said. 

Sometimes, when Lucifer spoke to the human, to Diavolo, even to Mammon, his voice softened. Levi didn’t get this all too often. 

“I will,” he said because it was the only thing he could think of. 

He couldn’t pay attention to the rest of the meeting, no matter how hard he tried. He wrote down everything that he could but he wasn’t really there, mentally. His cheeks burned with embarrassment and his legs bounced the entire time, no matter how hard he forced them down. 

When Lucifer released them into freedom, Levi walked to his desk to get the cube back. Not because he needed it, he didn’t need a stupid toy, he just wanted to feel the familiar burning of the gears against his thumb. 

“Can I have it back?” he asked which was stupid because Lucifer was his brother, not some mighty higher force. He just had to give it back. 

“No,” Lucifer replied. 

Levi blinked. 

“I hereby ban you from bringing any more toys into class or to any meetings,” Lucifer continued. For a small moment, his expression turned hard, unforgiving, then it smoothened out and he gave Levi a small smile. “Are we clear?”

This shouldn’t be a big deal. Levi had lost items before. He had given mangas and games away. But this cube was special. He didn’t want to lose it to Lucifer just because Asmodeus and Mammon had misunderstood its purpose. 

“We are,” Levi said and turned away before the itch inside his eyes could turn into real tears. 

* * *

“The couch is shaking again,” Satan commented, for the third time this evening. It was his subtle way of saying, “Levi, if you don’t stop bouncing your leg, I will murder you”. 

Levi put his entire weight onto his leg but noticed that it didn’t help. It was all pointless. He wanted his cube back. Part of Levi knew that it was unfair to be treated with the same standards his brothers were. He had paid attention in class. He had taken notes. Everything had worked out until Lucifer had decided to punish the entire group. And the only person who really suffered from it was Levi because Asmo and Mammon couldn’t care less. 

“I’ll be in my room. Don’t bother knocking,” Levi announced and jumped to his feet. Satan looked a lot more relaxed now that the couch was still again. 

Although Levi had planned to go to his room and vent to Henry about this, he suddenly had a better idea. Phone calls were off limits, so he looked up the first group chat he shared with Diavolo, selected the demon prince’s number and started typing. It took him half an hour and a lot of effort to come up with the following:

 **Dear Lord Diavolo** **  
****I’d like to make an appointment with you to discuss compensation in class for my disability. Sorry for bothering you this late** **  
****Leviathan**

He hit “send” but felt like his head was going to explode until his D.D.D. chimed with a new message. 

**Don’t apologize. Lucifer is with me right now, I can mention it.**

Levi almost dropped the D.D.D. 

**I’d like to talk to you first. In private**

This felt awkward, definitely rude but it felt good to have it out of his system. 

**Understood. Barbatos will send you my timetable, so you can decide which time is best for you. Have a good night!**

Could it really be this easy? Levi put down the D.D.D. but still stared at the messages for a good hour until he could bring himself to get ready for bed. He had just texted Lord Diavolo. In a private chat. Barbatos had already mailed him the schedule but Levi decided to check it out in the morning. 

If Lucifer was ever going to find out about this, Leviathan was so dead. 

* * *

Barbatos was very polite about finding a day that fit for the both of them. After a few messages back and forth, they agreed on a date that Levi put into his secret D.D.D. calendar. He was a lot more anxious about it than he would’ve liked. The worst part was that he had to miss class for this, since Diavolo’s schedule was stuffed in the afternoons. Since Levi technically didn’t need Lucifer’s approval for this, he didn’t ask him. He told Satan that he had an important appointment with Lord Diavolo and Satan told him that he couldn’t give two shits about this. (This was not what Satan said. To be honest, Levi had to look up a word Satan used and then forgot it immediately.)

No matter Satan’s lack of interest, Levi had told _someone_ , that should be enough. 

Barbatos was kind enough to pick him up at the House of Lamentation, and he was also nice enough not to comment on Levi’s headphones that he refused to take off during the ride. When Levi shook his head at the offer of smalltalk, Barbatos smiled and actually stayed silent the entire time. Levi didn’t want the ride to end but eventually it did. 

“Do you drink coffee? Tea?” Barbatos asked when he dropped Levi off in an office that suddenly seemed very scary, although Levi had already been there countless times to fill out forms. 

“Coffee, yes,” Levi mumbled. “But no sugar.”

“Understood. I’ll be back in a second.”

Barbatos smiled and Levi made the effort to look him in the eyes as he smiled back. When the butler left, he no longer had an excuse to avoid Lord Diavolo, meaning that he had to direct his attention at the tall man behind the desk. He always looked intimidating, despite doing his best to smile and seem approachable. 

“Hello,” Levi said, unsure of how to start this. 

“Hello there,” Diavolo replied, and his smile suggested that he knew exactly what he had just done. Still, Levi was too nervous to finish the quote for him, he just stopped right behind the chair Diavolo had prepared for him and looked down on the desk. 

“Please, sit down,” Diavolo quickly offered. “I’m sure we’re going to find a way to solve this problem.”

All of sudden, Levi felt very stupid. He was used to this feeling but it had never been this intense. This was about a toy. A stupid toy. Going to the human realm and finding a new one was probably easier than explaining his problem to Diavolo. Levi had never been open about this. There was some official paperwork and a diagnosis somewhere, and Diavolo had seen it when Levi had been enrolled at the devildom academy. That was all. Coming to think of it, Lucifer probably didn’t even know. The rest of the brothers didn’t care. Even Satan who loved to read, didn’t think of it as important enough to devote research to it. (Because Satan could choose, Levi reminded himself, because Satan’s interests were worth something in other people’s eyes.)

“First off, I’d like to apologize,” Diavolo said. Levi was so surprised by that that every other thought vanished from his brain immediately. 

“Huh?” he made, blushed and cleared his throat, “Sorry, I mean, why that?”

“On behalf of everyone at the academy, I apologize for making this harder for you than it should be. Did you make up your mind yet what kind of compensation you need? There’s no pressure, please don’t take it that way.”

Perhaps Lucifer’s relationship with Diavolo was a secret, but even if that was the case, it wasn’t a well-guarded one. When Levi looked at how soft and natural Diavolo’s smile was, he couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t a coincidence that Lucifer was willing to trust Diavolo with his life. Levi wanted to trust him. He wanted to feel safe around him, and he somehow knew that Diavolo wouldn’t take advantage of his charisma. 

“Actually, yeah,” Levi blurted out. “It’s about my cube.”

Diavolo was professional enough not to frown or to show his confusion in any way. 

“Would you mind explaining this to me?”

Levi noticed that he did not mind. He even smiled a little when he told Diavolo about the day he bought the cube, and how he had kept it a secret until Lucifer took it away from him in class. When he mentioned the Avatar of Pride’s name, a knowing smile appeared on Diavolo’s lips and stayed there until Levi explained that Lucifer had refused to give it back. It then got replaced by a frown that wasn’t directed at Levi but still made him nervous. He didn’t mean to destroy things between the one normie couple he actually liked to be around in real life. 

“I mean- it’s not really about this cube in particular, I just don’t-- it’s unfair that I get to suffer while everyone else doesn’t.”

Not too long ago, Levi had hated the way he was. So much. He had sat alone in his room and wondered why everyone had been blessed with a brain that didn’t annoy everyone. 

“I see,” Diavolo said gently. 

Levi noted that he didn’t say, “I understand”. It seemed like he wanted to say more but interrupted himself when Barbatos knocked on the door and brought them tea and Levi’s coffee. They both thanked the butler who merely smiled before leaving as quickly as he entered. 

“Of course I can give you permission to use whatever tools you need to be able to focus,” Diavolo said once Barbatos was gone, “But please tell me if there’s more.”

Levi hid behind his cup of coffee. That was all he had come for, of course, but now it felt like he had the opportunity to do more. To get more. To feel seen for once, no matter the cost. And was it really a cost if Diavolo was so nice and open about it?

“I think that is all for now,” Levi mumbled. “Thank you, though.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that. Now, of course I have to inform Lucifer about this, is that okay for you?”

Levi lowered the mug to check if there was any negative emotion on Diavolo’s face. He seemed as friendly as ever, his yellow eyes fixed on him. 

“I thought maybe you could just write a note or something. And I can show it to my teachers.”

“And Lucifer,” Diavolo guessed correctly. Levi had noticed centuries ago that Lucifer would always pronounce Diavolo’s name with a specific kind of tenderness to it, and there was no doubt Diavolo put the same effort and care into pronouncing Lucifer’s name. Something inside Levi shifted when he heard it, it brought up the desire of wanting to be known, to be loved, in this way. Levi had never considered love outside of video games a possibility, at least not for him. Love wasn’t fake, he knew that. He just looked at it differently, Levi supposed, and moments like those made him wish that he didn’t. 

“Y-Yeah,” Levi said. 

While Diavolo thought it over, he finished the cup of coffee and awkwardly placed it on the desk, next to important papers that probably were worth more than Levi’s life. 

“Alright, how about this? I write you a note and if anyone has a problem with this, they now respond to me before punishing you,” Diavolo suggested. 

Levi was glad he wasn’t holding the cup anymore because he was sure he would’ve dropped it. If this meant what he thought it meant, Diavolo had just offered him the best kind of protection there was. Protection from the literal prince of hell. Meaning that Lucifer couldn’t do _shit_ to him. 

“That-” Levi started but wasn’t sure how to finish. He just nodded instead. 

Excitement creeped up on him and when he noticed it, it was already too late. He grinned and covered his mouth with his hand to keep up at least some dignity. 

“Well then,” Diavolo said. “I am very glad we found a solution. You have my number, just in case you need me again.”

But Levi was not going to contact him again, even if he was in mortal danger and Lord Diavolo was the only person that could possibly save him. He felt like he had just gotten the favor of a lifetime, there had to be centuries between this and the next one. Levi waited patiently until Diavolo had written and scanned the new note, then used a spell on the paper to make it indestructible. 

“There you go. Would you like to join us for lunch?”

“Oh my God, no,” Levi blurted out. “I mean-- No, thank you. This is very kind but I kinda have classes that I’m missing without an excuse, so…”

“Would you like me to write one?” Diavolo interrupted him, not the slightest bit bothered by Levi’s inability to speak like a normal person. 

“Like when you go to the doctor?” Levi asked. 

“I suppose?” For the first time Diavolo seemed confused. 

“Ah. Okay.”

A few minutes later, Levi left with two notes, first the handwritten permission to use his cubes and toys in class, the other one the certificate that confirmed his meeting with Diavolo. To be fair, he didn’t plan on using the second one. Not that he truly trusted Satan with telling everyone Levi had a meeting. He just hated confrontation, and he was going to cross this bridge when it came to it. 

For now, Levi was going to do the absolute minimum of social interaction until he had time to charge up his social battery in his room. If nobody asked, nobody was going to get an answer. (He also didn’t assume anyone was going to miss him. Levi wasn’t a quiet person when he talked about the things he loved but his brothers still had the habit of forgetting him.)

* * *

But the confrontation came. And Levi couldn’t say he was prepared for it, even though he had a few days to prepare what he was going to say. But he didn’t want to wait either. When he walked by Lucifer’s study and heard the TSL soundtrack he still hadn’t returned to Levi, he decided that this was about as good a time as ever. 

“Can I come in?” Levi asked and ignored that Lucifer had called the human’s name upon hearing the knock on his door. 

(Because _of course_ the human had entered this room in the evening. Because Lucifer apparently needed a very intense platonic bond with the demon prince _and_ a romantic bond with a human to make up for Levi’s loneliness.)

“Levi? What do you want?” Lucifer asked. 

“I have a request,” Levi said, which was the only thing he had practiced. If Lucifer let him in, he had to rely on his improv skills. 

“Alright.”

The music stopped when Levi carefully opened the door. He had expected Lucifer at his desk, so he was taken aback to find him on one of the armchairs near the fireplace, a book between his gloveless fingers and a mildly interested expression on his face. If Levi didn’t know any better, he’d say Lucifer looked happy. Relaxed. 

“So, I have uh. Something I should’ve given you earlier but I wasn’t sure how.”

“Is everything okay?”

Levi raised an eyebrow, then understood what Lucifer meant. 

“Oh God, no, it’s not that serious. Well, maybe. Kinda. I can just show you.”

He wasn’t even that much younger than Lucifer and yet it felt like he was talking to a teacher. He reached into his bag and pulled out the document from Diavolo. The indestructible paper came in handy because Levi had to wipe a few crumbs of whatever cookies he had in his bag from it before handing it over to Lucifer. 

Lucifer took the note. He sat up straighter as he read it, the relaxed expression left him almost instantly. Levi noticed that his eyes scanned the paper about three times, and if it weren’t for the way Diavolo had charmed the paper, Lucifer’s tight grip might crumble or even tear it. Suddenly, Levi saw two possible ways this whole thing could end. 

Scenario 1. Lucifer was going to assume Levi had contacted his boss without trying to sort things out with Lucifer first (which, to be fair, he had done). The only possible reaction in this scenario was Lucifer’s famous wrath, the special one that was dedicated to guard Diavolo’s honor and wellbeing. 

Scenario 2. Lucifer was going to assume Levi faked the letter and his disability. This scenario also ended in a tantrum, albeit a different kind. 

Still, anger was anger, and Levi suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. 

When Lucifer finally looked up, he looked… shocked. At least if Levi read this right. He opened and closed his mouth three times until he sighed, dropped the note into his lap and massaged his temple with both of his hands. Somehow, Levi knew that this frustration wasn’t directed at him. It was easy to assume, to let his anxiety get the best of him, but somehow he found the strength to wait for a reply. 

Because he deserved one. Lucifer had to say _something_. 

He didn’t. Instead, he carefully placed the note and his book onto the coffee table, stood up and walked over to his desk. Levi watched him as he pulled open the first drawer and retrieved Levi’s stupid, blue cube.

Lucifer walked back to him, held out his hand and dropped the cube into Levi’s palm. His expression was unreadable. 

“The ban is hereby lifted,” Lucifer said, then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Levi had wanted an apology. He had craved it, to the point where he had stared up to his bedroom ceiling with hot, suffocating jealousy streaming through his body. Maybe Leviathan had grown so used to jealousy and the feeling of being wronged that he had no idea how to react to a genuine apology. 

And it was genuine, he could tell. The way Lucifer stood, the way he had pushed his pride, his curse, out of the way to admit he was sorry. It was all Levi needed, really. 

“Thanks,” he said because he felt like he had to. 

“Don’t thank me for that. I was the one who wronged you in the first place.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Lucifer gave him a little, playful gasp. 

“ _No, Lucifer, it’s okay_ ,” he said, doing an awful job at imitating Levi, “ _Don’t worry about it. I forgive you._ ”

“Actually.” Levi smiled a little. “I might forgive you under one condition.”

“Yes?”

“I want my TSL soundtrack back.”

* * *

Levi played with his cube back in his room, the TSL soundtrack in the background. 

“That didn’t go too bad,” he told Henry and for a moment he could’ve sworn that the goldfish smiled back at him. What a stupid thing to think. Fishes couldn’t smile at him. Which was pretty unfair, now that Levi thought about it. 

**Author's Note:**

> of course this is just headcanon material but my ND self feels very safe around Leviathan because I, too, am willing to launch into a 3 hour infodump about a book series and I, too, have an unhealthy superior complex when it comes to my interests. Hi, servamp fandom, I'm taking about you.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, please note that I am in no way an expert on ADHD, I just assumed that some experiences may be the same ones I have.  
> \- ben


End file.
